~The Morning Of~
Saturday, October 31st, 2020
-Somewhere between Hargeon Town and Magnolia City-
Levy stumbled slightly with the movements of the train as she made her way carefully down the corridor, two steaming cups of hot coffee balanced in her hands.
To her right were rows of closed doors, leading to presumably inhabited cabins that lined the train car. And to her left, long windows ran the entire length of the corridor, revealing gorgeous views beyond.
About 400 miles of dense forests and lush landscape separated Hargeon Town, which was located along the sea, and Magnolia City, the booming metropolis closer to the heart of Fiore. By car, the distance took roughly five to six hours to travel, depending on traffic and weather conditions. The train was roughly the same, possibly a little longer. They had to make one stop before reaching the City, which would add time to the trip.
The train had departed at precisely 7:30 AM, and glancing at the clock on the wall now, Levy saw it was close to 11 AM. So, roughly over halfway? Hopefully they'd be pulling into Magnolia City at 1:45 PM, the scheduled arrival time.
The sun was shining brightly above and the illuminated pastures they were passing took Levy's breath away, what with their golden glow. She grinned widely as she continued her wobbly way down the corridor. She certainly did love travelling.
Reaching their compartment, Levy used an elbow to nudge the door open, conscious of the coffee cups she held, filled to the brim and in danger of spilling.
Lucy looked up as Levy squeezed her way in, all of the girl's concentration on the hot beverages in her hands. Lucy leaned forward to take one of the cups from Levy, wishing she could get up to help more, but unable to move further due to the weight in her lap.
"Here, Levy, let me take one of those," she said softly.
Levy nodded and gratefully deposited one of the hazardous drinks into her friend's reaching grasp, happy to have only one to worry about now. She carefully made her way to her seat, next to the window and across from Lucy. She sat down and leaned forward to blow on her coffee, before taking a sip.
Levy hummed in contentment as the taste of her favorite drink washed over her, and her hum was met with Lucy's own.
Lucy looked over at Levy, smiling.
"Thanks, Lev," she said, still with a hushed tone, and Levy smiled back brightly.
"No problem, Lu-chan," she said softly. "I really needed it too."
Lucy nodded in agreement, both girls thinking back to the little sleep they'd gotten the night before.
The friends had stayed up late, watching Soul Eater and messing around, until Levy had noticed it was already past one in the morning and she'd kicked everyone out, reminding them to meet at the train station promptly at 7 AM.
But then both girls had stayed up even later, finishing up their packing, so they'd only been able to squeeze in about three hours of sleep, maybe less.
Levy looked up from her coffee to gaze out the window again. The pastures continued on this side of the tracks, spreading into the horizon like fields of honey. In the distance, an unnamed forest could be seen, and behind it the beginnings of a mountain range spread further into the horizon. The skies above were a crystal clear blue, dotted with the occasional fluffy cloud, and Levy couldn't get over how picturesque the scene was. Like something from a fairy tale, something only one of her books could have conjured up.
Lucy watched out the window as well, just as awestruck as Levy. The train's movements were smooth, with only the occasional rattle, and Lucy was grateful for the steaming coffee in her hands, since otherwise she might've dozed off. And maybe she should have tried to get some more sleep, especially after last night, but she knew both she and Levy were too nervous and excited to be on the road to let themselves pass out. The views were too beautiful to miss.
The train didn't bother her, but unfortunately not everyone was so lucky, and Lucy glanced down at the head of pink hair that rested in her lap, flushing lightly at the sight. Natsu got horrible motion sickness. As soon as they'd boarded the train he'd swallowed down a handful of sleeping pills, hoping to just pass out and get the trip over with as quickly as possible. Somehow he'd ended up using Lucy's lap as a pillow, and while Lucy would adamantly deny with much embarrassment that she enjoyed it, she definitely did.
She looked down at his peaceful features, soft hair moving gently with the motions of the train. He winced slightly in his sleep and turned his head a bit, snuggling his face further into her stomach. Lucy blushed. His hair looked so silky, she kinda wanted to run her hands through it…
Lucy looked up to see Levy staring at her with a smug grin. Lucy's face ignited, having been caught staring at Natsu and she flitted her eyes to the window, unable to meet Levy's eyes.
"Ya know, you could probably push him off if you wanted to," Levy said, grin apparent in her voice. "But I think we both know you don't want to, huh," she continued, chuckling and taking another sip of coffee.
To Levy's left, on the bench beside her, Jet and Droy were both passed out as well. Jet was leaning against the cabin wall next to the door, and Droy was leaning against Jet's shoulder, drooling slightly. Across from them and on the other side of the slumped over Natsu, Gray sat with his head leaning back, arms crossed but snoring softly to indicate he was asleep as well.
Yes, other than Levy and Lucy, everyone in the train cabin was asleep, and they giggled softly as they looked around at their sleeping friends.
"I don't know how they can do that," Levy said, sipping her drink and looking back at Lucy. "I, for one, am a pent up bundle of nerves! I'm just so excited to be travelling by train, and I've never been somewhere as big as Magnolia City before. I wonder what it will be like?"
Lucy nodded, agreeing with her friend.
"I've been to Magnolia City actually," Lucy said thoughtfully, "Once when I was quite young. But I was so young I don't count it, I don't even remember anything from that trip. It was back when…"
Lucy faltered and Levy looked at her friend sympathetically.
"It's okay, Lucy, you don't need to say it," she said and Lucy hummed.
"But I do kind of want to say something about the boy in your lap," Levy snickered, causing her friend to blush again. "Come on Lucy, you're practically dating the guy, I mean look at that," Levy said, gesturing to Natsu, but Lucy was shaking her head.
"But it's not official, Levy, you know that. We're still just friends," she said, looking mournful.
Levy sighed.
"Maybe you should try talking to him about it," she said. "You've gotten so close with each other these past four years. I mean, you haven't kissed yet, or don't anything physical, but on every other level you're practically dating. I've never seen Natsu so connected with anyone before. He's probably too thickheaded to think about asking you out, he might not even realize how close you've gotten. Maybe just talking to him about it would be good."
"And ruin what we have? Levy, what if Natsu just wants to stay friends? I don't want to risk losing him, on any level, and… well… what if I bring it up and he doesn't… like me back? What if he gets disgusted and doesn't even want to look at me ever again?" Lucy said, feeling her eyes prickle at the thought. She sniffed and rubbed at them, trying not to cry.
Levy looked at her friend with deep sadness, understanding what she meant. But as an outside observer, she could also see the way that Natsu looked at Lucy, and she figured that had to mean something.
"Lucy, Natsu would never do that to you. It's obvious that he cares about you, it's obvious that you guys have something special. Natsu can be oblivious, but he'd never be mean. I genuinely can't see him ever thinking you're disgusting, or wanting nothing to do with you. These are baseless worries, Lu-chan," Levy said reassuringly and the blonde nodded along with her words, but she wasn't convinced. She sighed.
"I don't know, Levy, I just… I don't want to ruin things," she said, and Levy met her eyes sagely.
"Well maybe an opportunity will present itself tonight to bring some of this up with him," Levy said with a slight smile. "As we both know, alcohol can be a great help," and she winked at Lucy who just laughed softly.
"Well what about you, Levy? Anyone you want to be having a special chat with tonight?" she asked with a wink, and Levy found herself blushing slightly as the spotlight moved to her.
"Uhm, no, definitely not," she replied hastily.
"Not even with your Soul?" Lucy said with a chuckle and Levy rolled her eyes.
"Don't even get me started on that…," she said, motioning to the sleeping boys to her left, both still passed out. Droy's drool was starting to leave a wet spot on Jet's jacket.
"I just… ugh. I can't even deal with them. I definitely won't be meeting anyone new with them around," she said frowning and taking another sip of her coffee.
Lucy hummed in agreement, sympathetic towards her friend's plight.
"Well what about Gajeel?" she asked and Levy spit out her coffee at the mention of his name, prompting Lucy to laugh a little more loudly.
"Shhh!" Levy hissed, looking around at the sleeping boys in the cabin. Luckily none of them had seemed to have noticed the slight commotion. Gray grunted and turned his head a bit, causing Levy to freeze, but then his soft snores continued and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They were all still pleasantly tucked away in their slumber, and none of them had heard Lucy's mention of the man. Levy turned, glaring lightly at Lucy, who was still laughing behind her hand.
"Don't talk about him!" Levy said softly, patting at the coffee stain now on her jeans. "I really doubt I'll ever see him again anyways. I don't know anything about him! I don't even know where he lives or what he does! What are the odds he'd even be in Magnolia City! And don't! –," Levy cried, seeing Lucy's mouth begin to open, "- don't say those odds are 'once in a blue moon!'"
Lucy simply chuckled, having been cut off, and met her friend's heated gaze with a smile in her own.
"Well I'm simply stating facts, you know? It's such a magical moon, it's actually out right now, we just can't see it," Lucy said, looking out the window again. "Did you know we won't have another Blue Moon until August of 2023? Well, a calendrical one that is. There will be a seasonal one next year but… I'm ranting, aren't I," she said, smiling at Levy, who didn't mind. Lucy's passion for astronomy was something the bluenette found admirable. She loved seeing other people passionate about things, and she loved indulging in their passions with them.
"I don't mind you talking about it, Lucy, it's pretty cool," Levy said. "But what a do mind -," and here she quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "- I do mind you teasing me about something that just isn't going to happen! In fact, I'm so certain I will never see Gajeel again, why don't we bet on it."
Lucy and Levy smiled at each other devilishly.
"I'll bet on that," Lucy said, mischievous grin on her face.
"Okay, if I win the bet, which I will," Levy said smirking, "then you'll need to ask Natsu out."
Lucy blanched at these terms and glanced down again at the cute boy whose head was snuggled up against her legs. She gulped. But Lucy wasn't one to back down from a challenge so she met Levy's eyes and nodded her head firmly.
"Alright, fine. But what if I win?" she asked, and Levy shrugged, looking uncertain.
"What do you want?" she asked, not sure if she should be asking that.
"Hmm," Lucy said, finger to her chin. "If I win… which I will-,"
Levy scoffed.
"- and if you do in fact see Gajeel again tonight," Lucy continued, unperturbed by the scoff. "Then… oh!" Lucy's eyes widened and she looked at Levy with a devilish smirk. Levy didn't like it.
"Then I dare you to kiss him!" Lucy said and Levy recoiled, gasping loudly. She froze as Droy grunted next to her, but luckily he just repositioned, and didn't wake up.
"What?" she breathed, incredulous. "Lucy, are you out of your mind?!"
"No! I'm serious! If I've won it will mean that you have run into him again, so it will be the perfect chance! Come on Levy, don't tell me you don't want to!" Lucy teased causing a bright blush to blossom on Levy's cheeks. The blush itself was all the answer Lucy needed and she cackled at her own evil thoughts.
"But Lucy!" Levy whined quietly, "I didn't dare you to kiss Natsu! Just ask him out!"
"Well yeah but, do you really want to ask Gajeel out?" Lucy replied and Levy's blush deepened.
The thought of Gajeel on a date suddenly made her snort with laughter. It was too ridiculous, she couldn't imagine the serious man getting all dressed up and doing something silly like giving her flowers. What a thought!
"Okay, okay, you're right, Gajeel would never go on a date with me," she snickered. "But oh god, a kiss."
Levy put her hands up to cup her heated cheeks, thinking about it.
"I've never kissed anyone before, Lu-chan. I just don't meet many guys, and when I do, at parties, Jet and Droy are always there and…," she looked up at her friend, who was grinning back knowingly.
"What do you have to lose, Levy? You're the one who insists you'll never see him again. And even if you do, and even if you kiss, who's to say that won't be the last time you see him? If you really don't want to keep running into this mysterious Devil of yours, then I'm sure you won't. It's not like you're actually haunted, or destined to be together or something. It's just been crazy coincidence."
Levy nodded along to what Lucy was saying, agreeing. It really was just quite crazy.
"If you really don't want to kiss him, Levy, I won't make you. But then the bet would be off."
Levy thought about it. On the one hand, the thought of kissing Gajeel terrified her. But, not necessarily in an entirely bad way. She realized that thinking about it made her insides twist a little, something she couldn't explain, and something she'd never felt before when thinking about anyone else.
But on the other hand, Levy genuinely didn't think she'd see him, and therefore she was confident she'd win this bet, and she was more than excited to see Lucy and Natsu become official. They'd been dancing around dating for years and it was definitely time for one of them to speak up. She nodded to herself, making her decision.
"The bet is on," she said, meeting Lucy's grinning eyes with her own. "But I'm sure I'll win Lucy, despite your magical moon, so just be prepared to ask Natsu out!"
"Shh!" Lucy said, giggling, glancing down at him once more and this time allowing herself to lightly brush a lock of hair from his face.
"Alright, alright, deal," she said with a smile. "But don't say it out loud again, please. And you should be the one preparing, Levy! To eat your words! Say 'Hi' to Gajeel for me, when you see him!"
Levy rolled her eyes but found herself smiling as she turned to the window, sipping once more at the slowly cooling beverage in her hands.
Around them, the train continued its journey forward and the boys continued their quiet naps, completely oblivious to the deal that had been made beside them.
Natsu, knocked out from sleeping pills and the motion sickness nausea that made him unconscious anyways, simply snuggled once more into the warmth he found himself embraced in, trying to ignore everything else and focus entirely on that. This soft, golden glow of warmth, that smelled like his favorite person in the whole world, and kept the nausea just a little bit more at bay.
Levy got one of her books out and curled her legs underneath herself, content to read the rest of the way, and Lucy got out her notebook to doodle and jot thoughts down for a novel idea she was playing with.
But both girls found themselves slightly distracted within their thoughts, the bet at the forefront of their minds. Both were convinced that they would win it, and they were pleased with not only the promise of victory, but also the outcome their victory would entail for the other.
If Levy won, and she didn't run into Gajeel, then Lucy would have to finally ask Natsu out. However, if Lucy won, and Levy somehow ran into the Devil once more, then she'd have to kiss him. Both desperately wanted to win.
But, for some weird contradictory reason, a small thought at the back of both girl's minds existed that kind of hoped they'd lose…
-Magnolia City-
The glass doors swung open with vigor and Gajeel's mouth twitched into a grin as the familiar smell of the gym washed over him. Well, stench might have been a more accurate term, since the whole place reeked of sweaty bodies and chalk. Gajeel loved it anyway and he strode forth into the dimly lit space, quite comfortable with the way to the locker rooms.
On route, he passed by many familiar faces, lifting weights or grappling with punching bags. A couple of them called out to him in greeting, and he grunted in return, but didn't say much else. Gajeel was known around here to be a man of few words, and the other men were happy to limit their associations with him. After all, Gajeel had a bit of a reputation.
He'd practically grown up in this gym and he'd been around much longer than most of the other guys, but he was also someone you didn't want to mess with. Most of them didn't know the specifics of his line of work, but the rumors made it pretty clear that Gajeel was better left alone.
And he didn't mind that. Gajeel appreciated his solitude. He wasn't skilled at making friends, and it was better not to be friends with someone in case he had to defeat them in the Ring or possibly worse. Who knew what José would ask of him. Better to not be friends with anyone so if one day he found that he was their executioner, he wouldn't hesitate.
But begrudgingly, Gajeel did have a couple people who had weaseled their way into his heart, who he supposed could be considered friends, even if he wasn't good at expressing that to them. But they knew, without him needing to say anything. They knew. And that's why they had earned that spot in his life to begin with, and that was more than enough for him.
Gajeel walked into the locker room, dropping his black duffel bag down on one of the benches and un-zippering it. He swiftly changed into a pair of shorts and a plain black t-shirt, pulling his long hair back into a low ponytail. Grapping some tape and his gloves he sauntered back into the gym, choosing his favorite corner in the back.
A man who'd been nearby surreptitiously left after a minute or two and Gajeel smiled, happy to have his privacy. He was wrapping his hands when this newfound privacy was rattled by the sound of someone approaching and Gajeel's smile turned sour. He glared over his shoulder, but he already knew who it was without needing to look.
"What's with the glare Gajeel, aren't you happy to see me?" the approaching man laughed, and Gajeel turned back to wrapping his hands with tape and gauze, scoffing.
"'Sup, Lil," he said, and Lily leaned against a piece of lifting equipment to Gajeel's left, smiling widely as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Lily was a large man, almost as tall as Gajeel, with similarly impressive muscles. He was several years older though, and one of the few people at the gym who had been there longer than Gajeel had.
Unlike Gajeel, Lily was sociable and well-liked by all. He was usually there in the mornings, before he had to go to work, but he also frequently taught boxing to youth groups on weekends. Considering it was a Saturday, Gajeel had expected to see him here.
And despite Gajeel's gruff attitude, glaring upon his arrival, internally Gajeel always enjoyed seeing Lily. He was one of those rare friends Gajeel had, one of two, and he'd been in his life a long time. In fact, Gajeel had once been one of the youth Lily taught, even though at the time Lily had only been a few years his senior. It would be no surprise then that this was one of the reasons Gajeel hadn't been too respectful of him at first. They'd had a rocky start.
But Lily was wiser beyond his years, and he'd seen past the youth acting out in front of him, to who Gajeel truly was. Lily was far more perceptive than most people thought. He'd seen Gajeel, really seen him, and he'd stayed. Over the years, through thick and thin, he'd stayed.
Gajeel figured that he owed the man his life. He didn't know how a person could even begin to repay a debt like that. So the least he could do was humor him, when he came over to say 'hi.'
"How's it going, Gajeel? Didn't see you here yesterday," Lily said conversationally, as Gajeel finished up wrapping his hands.
"Had ta work," he grunted, to which Lily responded with an "Ah."
Lily was one of the few people who knew what Gajeel did. He didn't approve, but he couldn't do anything about it either. He knew Gajeel was between a rock and a hard place. He often found himself wishing he could do more, worrying about his friend. But he didn't push him now to explain.
"Well good to see you back then. I've got a group right on the other side of the gym, I'm running them through some drills. I'm sure they'd love to get a personal lesson from a legend like yourself," Lily said, grinning at Gajeel.
"I don't do kids, Lil," Gajeel scowled, knowing Lily was teasing him. Lily just shrugged.
"Well you'd be more than welcome to come over and say 'hi' if you change your mind. Will you be sticking around long after this? Care to do a little sparring?"
"Nah, can't stay too long," Gajeel grunted. "Only got time fer some warmin' up. Need ta be ready fer tonight."
Lily frowned.
"Tonight? Wait, Gajeel you're not involved in the fight this year, are you?" he asked with concern.
His concern deepened when Gajeel simply grunted in response but wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Gajeel, you shouldn't have to be fighting for him. Not anymore. I thought that was behind you," Lily said, and Gajeel finally looking up at him.
"It is," he said, and Lily frowned further, confused.
"I mean, I'm not on the list. But if somethin' goes wrong, I step in. Its House Rules, José runs the show. Ya know I don't got a choice, Lil. It'll be fine, since I won't be on the front lines. Don't worry 'bout it."
Lily's concern ebbed a little as he nodded, understanding the situation better now. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than he had thought.
"Listen, Gajeel. I can't say I understand, or even want to understand, the entire situation, but I also don't approve of the underground fight clubs. I've been hearing whispers that even Sabertooth are getting involved, is that true?" Lily asked conspiratorially.
Gajeel wouldn't answer, just grunted in response. Lily sighed, used to his friend of few words.
"Alright, but just… please use caution. And you can always call me, if you need to. I've got your back."
Gajeel raised his eyes to meet Lily's, which were shining back at him, filled with strength. He knew it was true, too. Lily was incredibly loyal and always had been. But he also knew he'd never call him.
Gajeel simply grunted again and turned back to his hands, finishing up and grabbing his gloves.
Lily chuckled, knowing Gajeel had said 'thanks,' even if he hadn't said it with words.
"I've got a class to get back to Gajeel, but I'm glad I got a chance to see you. Come on over if you want to get a glimpse of the next generation," he said with a wink.
"See ya, Lil'," Gajeel said, already fitting his gloves onto his hands and turning towards the punching bag in front of him.
Lily raised his hand in a goodbye gesture as he walked away, smiling to himself. Inside, a little bit of concern for his friend still lingered. Lily had a fair idea of how bad the underground fighting scene had become over the last few years. Its popularity, especially among the criminally involved Guilds that ran the city's underworld, had been increasing.
He could also feel its ripple effects in the gym. Even among his youth groups whispers of the scene could be heard, and he worried for the boys in his care. It was little surprise that they knew about it, many of them had come from the streets, but that was also why they needed to be protected.
Lily knew Gajeel didn't need his protection. He was sick of seeing José use Gajeel to fight his battles, but it was a game that he knew Gajeel had learned to navigate with ease, and he had complete faith that Gajeel could take care of himself. He'd managed thus far fairly unscathed, which said something. He also knew his way around a fight, even an illegal one, where the rules didn't matter.
Lily knew Gajeel would likely be alright, especially if he wasn't a main fighter. It'd be best if he didn't have to step in at all. Hopefully that would be the case.
Regardless, there was nothing Lily could do. He couldn't tell Gajeel what to do, and he certainly couldn't storm up to José Porla and tell him what to do, even though most days he had an itch to do just that. He was tired of seeing Gajeel be José's lap dog. It was time those tables were turned.
In the meantime, he had a class of inner city youth to wrangle and Lily just shook his head as he strode back to where he'd left them, picking up his pace as he could already hear a scuffle breaking out. Those kids! But it made him smile, thinking back to the ruffian he'd just talked to. Gajeel used to be the one that would always instigate a scuffle.
Gajeel watched Lily leave from the corner of his eyes, shoving the gloves over his hands tightly. He turned to the bag in front of him and began going through warm up drills. He'd done these so often, they were ingrained in his muscle memory as deeply as the knowledge of how to walk.
Gajeel had always had too much energy. As a child, he was the one who couldn't sit still or pay attention in class. Always fidgeting, or skipping entirely. His rough childhood had predisposed him to becoming a troublemaker. After school, you'd be more likely to find him beating a kid up in the halls than studying or doing homework in the library. Most people quickly gave up on him, called him a lost cause.
He'd been forced to come to the youth classes at the gym, but honestly he spent months trying to get out of them, purely out of spite. But when he did finally come, and started to learn, he was a natural.
Ever since, Gajeel had spent hours honing his techniques and abilities in the gym. He was a skilled boxer. He could hold his own against nearly anyone, his physical build lending itself to the sport nicely. He'd learned wrestling, kickboxing, muay thai. He'd even dabbled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He had to admit, the eastern martial arts fighting styles were pretty cool. But he was best at boxing.
Gajeel kept running through the motions. He could feel his heart pumping, the blood rushing through his veins. The prickle of his skin, goosebumps rippling. The air coming in, then out, as his breathing grew steady, focused. He put all of his attention in that, the feeling of his body. It was just him. And the bag. He narrowed his eyes at it, moving with practiced ease. Just him. And the bag. No Phantom Lord, no José. No Sabertooth, or Magnolia City. No one else in the gym. No Levy. Just him. And the bag.
Gajeel grinned as he got into his groove, feeling alive. This was true power, and he loved the feeling of being in motion again. It was the most glorious thing in the world.
The train let out a loud whistle as it pulled into the station just outside Magnolia City. The noise, as well as the tangible feeling of slowing down, woke the four boys who'd managed to sleep practically the entire six hours it took to travel from Hargeon Town to Magnolia City.
Levy and Lucy were chatting amongst themselves and gathering up their things as each of the boys came to, taking a moment to come to their senses.
Jet groaned as he lifted himself from where he'd slumped against the wall. He must have slept with his neck at an awkward angle, and its soreness caused him to wince as he tried sitting up. But he couldn't and he realized that a large weight was pressing into his right side, preventing him from moving. He frowned as he realized it was Droy, still in fact snoring and drooling on him.
Droy had been having a pleasant dream about visiting a late night, all-you-can-eat diner with Levy. He'd just been about to get a slice of cherry pie, when Levy was suddenly shaking his shoulders, yelling at him with Jet's voice. Droy winced as he opened his bleary eyes, lighting barging in on his senses. Jet was still shaking him angrily, something about a drool stain, and he yawned as he sat up and looked around, stretching his arms above his head.
Gray had in fact woken up a little bit ago. Only about thirty minutes or so, but he'd allowed himself to stay in the same position, eyes closed, head back, simply listening to the noises of the train around him, and Levy and Lucy's conversation. They'd been talking softly about a book Levy was reading, and while the two girls clearly held passion for the subject, Gray had found himself quite bored. He was happy when the whistle alerted him that the trip was over. He didn't have bad motion sickness the same way as Natsu, but he didn't necessarily enjoy long stretches of sitting in confined spaces. Just the thought had him pulling at the collar of his shirt.
Natsu was the last to wake, and only when the train had fully stopped. The golden warmth he'd been enjoying the entire trip had suddenly vanished and he frowned deeply at this. Also, the nausea he'd barely managed to keep at bay was nudging back at him more strongly again, even though he could tell as he became more aware of his surroundings that the train wasn't moving anymore. The nausea would remain as long as he was on this accursed beast and he was itching to get off as quickly as possible.
Right before the train had pulled in, Lucy had finally moved Natsu's head from her lap and settled him onto the seat. She'd done it reluctantly, but she didn't want any of the other boys to see him sleeping like that, or even for him to wake up and find himself like that. She wasn't sure if he'd be entirely pleased that he'd accidentally slept in her lap the whole way. But then again, Natsu was so much more comfortable with these things than she was, maybe she was just worrying too much.
She moved to stand up, her legs badly cramped after being seated for so long. She groaned as she stretched, reaching her hands high above her head.
The two girls began packing up their things and chatting excitedly about getting to the hotel, as the boys around them came to life.
"Droy! Get off me! Eww, you drooled on me!" Jet was complaining, shaking a groggy Droy and trying to tug his jacket with the drool off. Levy chuckled at the sight of her two friends bickering. She really did love them, despite her occasional grievances.
"This is perfect," Lucy was saying, stacking their coffee cups and putting them in a side pocket of her bag. "We got here right on time. It's 1:45 PM exactly."
"Trust trains to always run on time," Levy said, reaching up to grab her own bag from the rack above. She had to jump slightly to do it, but she caught a strap and was able to haul it down.
"Where exactly is the hotel you booked, Lucy? We'll probably need to get two cabs, our group is so big," she said, thinking aloud.
Before Lucy had a chance to reply, a loud message was broadcast throughout the train.
"We have reached our final destination, Magnolia City. All passengers are required to disembark here. Please ensure you have gathered all of your belongings as you exit your cabin. Thank you for choosing to ride with us today, we hope you enjoy Magnolia City and look forward to travelling with you again soon."
Immediately Natsu whooped loudly, leaping up from the bench he'd been dying on only moments prior. The friends watched in shock as in milliseconds he had grabbed both his bag from the racks above and Lucy's hand, and quickly raced out the cabin with a stunned Lucy in tow. She barely had time to grab her own bag before he'd pulled her out with him. She cried out in shock as she found herself running to keep up with him, his hand firmly clamped around her own, but she was soon smiling breathlessly as she let him lead the way past surprised passengers, towards the exit and platform beyond.
"Well, guess we'll meet them outside!" Levy said, smiling, as the rest of the group blinked, trying to figure out what had just happened.
The lobby was magnificent. In fact, calling it a lobby was an understatement. It was more of a grand entrance hall, a large beautiful room with high arching ceilings, crisply painted walls, and shiny hardwood floors with had intricate designs. Pillars were spaced out through the hall, with velvet green couches circled around them, and many different kinds of plants decorated the space. That, paired with the warm glow of natural light coming from high windows above, led to a cozy, fresh feeling.
Levy breathed in deeply, loving the place. She'd had no idea that when Lucy booked them rooms, it'd be somewhere so fancy.
"Wow, Lucy, this is incredible," she said, awestruck. Lucy was silent beside her and she noticed that the girl was just as shocked, staring around in wonder.
Several other groups of people were spread out throughout the room, some seated on couches, some standing and talking. At the other end, opposite of the reception desks, a large grand staircase led further in to the building, and several groups of stylishly dressed people were laughing as they strolled up the steps. Levy almost felt a little underdressed to be here. She was a bit scruffy after the long train ride, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and her backpack was well-loved.
"Wow, I had no idea it was so nice," Lucy said, star struck. "Natsu suggested this place, I guess he knows the owner. We actually got a discount."
Levy turned to her, an eyebrow raised.
"Huh," she said.
"Let's get checked in," Gray grumbled and Levy turned to him to reply, but couldn't help from snorting.
"Gray!" Levy cried, laughing and looking at him incredulously. "What happened to your shirt!?"
It appeared he'd lost it, somewhere between the train and hotel.
"Just can't wait to start stripping, huh, perv," Natsu snorted, hands behind his head, and Lucy just laughed with Levy. Shockingly, they were used to this.
"Shut up, idiot," Gray snarled, shooting Natsu a dirty glare. "I packed extra," and the comment elicited new laughter among the group.
Gray stalked towards reception and Lucy and Levy followed, giggling.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail Hotel, Casino, & Suites! How may I help you today?" a receptionist chirped, her light pink hair pulled up into a neat bun.
"We've got a reservation, under 'Lucy,'" Lucy said, smiling at the girl.
"Alright! Let me look it up for you!" the receptionist replied cheerfully, turning to the computer in front of her.
"That's rather odd though," she continued, talking aloud with a bright tone. "Most reservations are placed under last names!" she laughed and Lucy chuckled a little awkwardly.
"But no worries! Looks like I've got your reservation right here. Let's see, six people, three rooms, correct?"
Lucy nodded.
"Perfect, I'll just need a few things from you…"
Levy zoned out of the conversation as Lucy moved forward to take care of checking in. She'd made the reservation after all, so Levy figured she had it handled.
She turned back to ogle the room once more.
"Natsu, you know the owner of this place?" she asked the young man incredulously, who was standing nearby with a bored expression on his face, hands behind his head.
"Yeah, I've known Gramps a long time…"
Levy was going to say something else when suddenly a loud voice boomed throughout the space, causing Levy, Jet, and Droy to jump in surprise.
"NATSU MY BOY!"
Levy swept her gaze across the room, trying to figure out who had spoken, but no one around them seemed to match the voice, when she noticed a petite man striding toward them with all the confidence in the world.
He was short, even shorter than Levy, and his white hair and beard were groomed neatly. He wore a dashing golden suit, and it made Levy wonder if he was someone who always dressed like this, or if it was just for Halloween. Following close behind was a tall, curvaceous woman with scarlet red hair and sharp perceptive eyes.
"Natsu, so glad you made it!" he cried, reaching the group and grinning widely. Levy felt her eyes widen a bit in shock. He'd definitely been the one just now, who had called out to Natsu, but how could such a small man have been so loud? His physical stature was small, but his presence was big.
Natsu had turned towards the approaching man, grinning a wide toothy grin.
"Gramps!" he said to the man, "We were just talking about ya!"
"Oh?" the man said, smiling with an eyebrow quirked upwards. "All good things, I should hope? So glad you all made it safely!" he said, sweeping his eyes over the rest of the group. "Your trip here went well I presume?"
To this, Natsu gagged, face turning green, and everyone started to chuckle, knowing full well how Natsu felt about train travel.
Gray was meeting eyes with the tall woman who had joined them.
"Erza," he said cordially, with a nod of his head.
She nodded back, arms crossed. "Fullbuster."
She turned to Natsu, and greeted him as well with a nod, "Dragneel."
"I hope you both have been keeping things civil," she said, looking skeptically between the two boys with an eyebrow raised, causing them both to look anywhere other than her, rubbing their heads nervously.
"Ahh, yes, yes! How rude of me!" the old man said, "Introductions are in order! My dear friends, I am Makarov Dreyar, the owner of this fine establishment! Pleased to meet you!"
Levy was smiling, already loving the enigmatic gentleman before them. The group introduced themselves in turn, and when Makarov's eyes met Levy's own as she shook his hand, she could see the genuine depths of warmth and kindness that radiated from them.
"I'm so glad you're here!" he said, following the introductions. "Any friend of Natsu's is a friend of mine! In fact, I like to consider us all family around here! So please, just call me Makarov, no need to be formal. Ahh, and this must be the lovely Lucy?" he inquired, nodding towards the girl who was still leaning over the reception desk, distracted with the reservations.
At the sound of her name, a flustered Lucy turned towards the group, all smiling at her.
"Uhm, yes? Hello, yes I'm Lucy," she said, moving back from the counter to shake the short man's hand. She looked to Natsu quizzically, but he was snickering to himself in a very Natsu-like way.
"It's so wonderful to finally meet you!" Makarov crowed, his eyes glinting with laughter. "I've heard so much about you!"
"You… have?" Lucy said, dumbfounded. Did that mean Natsu had told him about her? The thought made her blush lightly and the man she'd just met chuckled as if he knew something she didn't.
"I hope you are taking care of them?" he said now, addressing the receptionist, and she smiled back at him brightly, nodding.
"Yes sir, Mr. Makarov, sir! We're just getting the room keys and then they'll be all set!"
"Wonderful! Wonderful, well I hope you all settle in well," he said, addressing the whole group with a sweep of his arms. "Unfortunately I have a meeting I must attend, with Miss Scarlet here, but please get yourselves settled into your rooms and then come down to enjoy the hotel and casino! Just think of this as a home away from home," he said with a wink. "And please, if you need anything at all, just let me know. What a pleasure it was to finally make your acquaintance!"
He nodded to each of them in turn, before turning back to Lucy and taking her hand once more, kissing it lightly like a gentleman. "Miss Lucy," he said, winking once more, before he swiftly began strolling back across the room, towards some double doors to the right of the stairs, the young woman in tow.
Lucy blinked, her face flushing, and Natsu was snorting with laughter at it.
"That's Gramps, alright," he said with a grin.
"Uhm, Natsu," Lucy stuttered, "How do you know this man? Is he your actual grandfather?"
Natsu shook his head, laughing at the thought.
"Nah, just known him forever. Gray too," he said, nodding towards the moody and shirtless man.
Before Lucy could comment, the receptionist spoke up, causing her to whirl back towards the desk.
"Alright! I've got your rooms in order for you, as well as some room keys! Unfortunately, due to how busy we are this weekend – we're fully booked you know! – I only have one key available per room. Will it be alright for you to share?"
Lucy glanced around at her friends, but they were all nodding distractedly, not too concerned.
"It will be fine, thanks," Lucy said with a smile. "Not a problem."
The receptionist nodded happily in thanks.
"Alright then! Here are the three room keys, they're labeled with your room numbers, and here are three maps of the hotel. The Fairy Tail Casino is up the stairs at the end of this hall, and you're welcome to enjoy the many other benefits and amenities the Hotel has to offer! Since you've all been upgraded to 'Nakama Status,' courtesy of Mr. Makarov, you have access to everything! Please enjoy your stay, and feel free to call reception if you need anything! Our number will be by the phones in your rooms."
Lucy nodded along, and smiled once more as the receptionist finished.
"Alright, thank you! Thanks for your help," she said, scooping up her bag, grabbing the three room keys and maps up off the desk, and moving back to join her friends as they walked towards one of the couches to regroup.
"Alright," Lucy said, flipping through the room keys. They'd already decided before leaving how the rooms would be divided, it was fairly obvious. Levy and Lucy would share one room, Gray and Natsu another, and Jet and Droy the last one. Lucy handed random keys to Jet and Gray, keeping one for herself and Levy. She handed them each maps as well.
"So let's go find our rooms and take a couple hours to freshen up, sound good?" she asked the group and they all nodded, exhaustion from the trip still evident in everyone's faces.
"Maybe we'll have time to try to meet up with Cana and Lisanna before tonight? They said they'd be staying here also, for tonight and tomorrow. I think Lisanna's sister works here too… There's a party tonight in the Casino at 10 PM and it's –," she glanced at her phone, checking the time, "- it's almost three, so plenty of time. Let's just text each other in a couple hours and see how everyone's doing!" she said brightly, and the group nodded once more before each pair splintered off, looking at the maps and gathering their bearings.
So far, the city had been everything that Levy had dreamed of, even more. It was large and sprawling, wide streets packed with pedestrians and cars. The skyscrapers had glinted in the afternoon sun as they'd driven towards their hotel in cabs from the train station, and as they'd pulled up to the massive building her breath had been taken away once more.
Levy hadn't expected much, just a basic hotel with substandard rooms, but she'd certainly never expected the massive and elegant Fairy Tail Hotel and Casino she now found herself in. It was certainly a fun surprise, and she felt the excitement she'd been holding for this weekend brimming within her once more. What a magical place this was! Surely the party here tonight would be just as wonderful. She couldn't wait to meet up with their other friends, and let the reunion commence!
Yukino strode confidently past the desks crammed together, each one with massive stacks of paper and phones constantly ringing. The bustling space was like a bee's nest, people buzzing about, constant chatter filling the air.
She continued through into an office towards the back, closing the door firmly behind her and nodding to the large man seated behind a desk, a light smirk on her face.
"Chief," she said briefly in greeting. He simply nodded back. Two other men were already seated in front of the desk, shuffling through papers.
"Get the blinds, will you," he said with a deep voice, and she nodded, reaching over to close the blinds covering the glass window that looked out over the office.
"Alright, we can get started," he said with a grunt, and Yukino took a swift seat in the only remaining chair in the room.
"First off, Yukino, I want you to promise you won't get ahead of yourself, like last time," he said, forcing her to meet his firm eyes with her own. She met them with ease.
"Of course, sir. I will stick to the plan," she said resolutely, and he nodded.
"Alright. Let's keep this brief then," and the three others in the room nodded. It'd be a long night and there was still much to be done.
A/N
Some new characters! Yes, Erza works for Makarov at Fairy Tail, in Magnolia City, but unfortunately neither of them will pop up too much throughout the night. I've got too much planned and they'll be busy with their own mischief!
I'm pretty sure we all know who is going to win the bet, between Levy and Lucy ;)
And also, what does Yukino have to do with anything?
I'm sorry that this is just a lot more build-up! But next chapter will be more intense, I promise, as well as the rest of the night. Thank you for sticking around! I'm aiming to get the next chapter out by Sunday.
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Another song I've been listening to a lot recently would be "REALiTi," by Grimes. Love her music.
"Oh, baby, every morning there are mountains to climb, taking all my time oh when I get up this is what I see, welcome to reality"~~
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Thanks again to everyone reading and reviewing!
rao hyuga 18 – Sorry this chapter is just more tease!
Amanny – Yep, Lucy is gonna be pretty upset. Don't worry, we'll be getting into this more next chapter!
Inku Eko – AHHHH! Love it! Thanks for all of your thoughts and comments! Thank you so much, hope you're still enjoying it! I promise 2020 will get even more exciting! ;)
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Have a wonderful night, Cheers!~